Meridian watch or clock



April 20, 1926. 1,581,910

- R. F. BERRILL MERIDIAN WATCH OR CLOCK Filed April 24, 1925 I hrz yPatented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES l,58l,ili PATENT OFFICE.

ROLAND FABI AN BERRILL, or LONDON, ENGLAHD,

'MERIDIAN' WATCH on CLOCK.

Application filed April 24,1925. Serial- NO. 25,650.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ROLAND FABIAN BER- RILL, a subjectof the King ofGreat Britain,

longitude at which the watch is consulted.

Timepieces of this kind, as heretofore proposed, usually comprise acircular scale divided into 360 equal parts, and a hand movable oversaid scale, but accurate reading of' such devices isdiflicult becausethe dimensions of the parts into which the scale is divided arenecessarily small, and only someof said divisions are numbered.

' According to the present invention a-figure which represents the unitof the number of degrees longitude of the meridian indicatedis'continuously displayed, and this numberis replaced bythe nextsucceeding 7 number at theend'of each period of four "minutes. Thefractions of a degree are conveniently represented by hand which movesover a circular scale subdivided into a'sm'all number of equal once in"every four minutes.

parts, sayl'four,

Thusthe dial of a watch carries a circu' parts numbered consecutivelyfrom O to the hand of the watch travels "over the scale in 24 hours andthe watch is also provided with a second device which displays 10numbers in succession at equal intervals of time in minutes.

Assuming that noon is to be the time indicated, the watch is set byturning the hand at noon to the number of the meridian of longitude ofthe place at which the watch is used. The successive longitudes(numbered throughout as west of 0) at which the time is noon in thecourse of the 24 hours will then be indicated, as to the tens or thetens and hundreds, by the division of the scale to which the hand maypoint and as to units, by the second device.

To subdivide the 36 divisions it is preferable to provide a window inthe dial and to mount behind the dial an intermittently revolving platebearing the numbers from O to 9 arranged equidistantly on a circle andwhich are consecutively displayed through said window as said plate isintermittently" rotated. Means are provided to cause this plate toperform one-tenth of a revolution at the end of every l minutes todisplay the said numbers, through said window. These numbers are to beread as the unitnumbers of the tens, or tens and hundreds, indicated bythe watch hand.

e To obtain a further subdivision the dial may. have a second circularscale over which a hand moves in 4 minutes thus indicating fractions ofa degree.

In the accompanying drawings F ig. 1 shows the dial of a watchconstructed according to the invention; Fig; 2 is a view of so much of asuitable form of mechanismas is essential to explain the movement; andFig. 3 is a view at a right angle to F ig; 2 showing the gearing bymeans of which the various nism. I

On the dial shown is drawn (as is common in watches designed to indicatethe time at any part of the World) a zenithal map of the World, theNorth Pole being the centre of the dial and the dial bears a secondcircular scale a representing the equator;

The main scale a bears the numerals 0 to 35 equidistantly arranged and'to which-the hand 6 points, The circular boundary ofthe maprepresents60 south latitude and the radius joining the figure 0 lar scale which isdivided into 36' equal the watch hand 6 indicates on the scale a thatpart of themap at which it is the hour for which the watch is Set. Thusthe dial shown indicates to a user at Greenwich (who has set the watchas aforesaid) by hand 5, window 0 and hand (Z, (which rotates once infour minutes over the scale a, which is divided into four equal parts,each of said divisions representing a quarter of a degree) that it isnow noon at a longitude lying between 137 and 137% and which extendsthrough the northwest portion of North America.

Referring to Fig. 2, which shows one parts are actuated by a Watchmechaform of mechanism for obtaining the de- 3 sired movements, theusual watch mecha-' nism a drives, the arbor e which carries the hand done revolution in 4 minutes. This arbor carries the wheel f and theratio of the members of the train 7, g, k, z' and is, is such that grevolves once in 8 minutes,

h once in 48 minutes, i once in 240 minutes and is once in lt lOminutes, the hand Z) being carried by the arbor of this last wheel. Thewheel 9 is keyed or otherwise secured to a pinion m which drives theWheel h. The wheel 9 and pinion m turn on a sleeve on the arbor n, andthe latter is so geared to the arbor 6 through the gears 7) and (,1 thatit is caused to rotate once in forty minutes. A second sleeve on thearbor a carries a plate Z which bears the numbers 0 to 9 arrangedequidistantly in a circle and which are successively displayed throughthe window 0 of the dial. The sleeve on also carries a star wheel mwhich is connected by aspiral spring a with the arbor n. The star wheelis engaged by a spring arm 0 carried on a fixedpoint. At the end ofsuccessive intervals of 4 minutes the tension of spring a overcomes thatof spring 0 and the star wheel is movedthrough one step to turn plateZ;through one-tenth of a revolution and thus the next number borne bythe plate Z is displayed through the Window 0. v

The setting mechani-sn'i of the watch moves hand 6 andplate Z together.

Having thus described the said invention andthebest-mean-s I know ofcarrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1- 1. In a time-piecefor indicating the meridian of longitude at which it is a given time, amovable-device bearing a succession of numerals and. adapted to bringeachol the said ,Il11111G12tlS;111ll0-V16W in succession,

-a-mechanism adapted tobe rotated continuously, and spring-operatedmeans cooperating with the said rotating mechanism. and said-device toretain'the said device for a period'o'l' four minutes in aposition inhich 1 one-of the said numerals is in view and to move it at the end ofeach period offour minutes to bring the next succeeding numeral intoview. 7

2. A timepiece for indicating the meridian of longitude at Which it is agiven time,

"comprising a dial bearing a circular scale marked with thirty-sixequi-distant consecutively numbered divisions, said dial having anaperture, a hand movable over said scale once in twenty-four hours, aplate rotatable about an aXis and bearing a succession of numerals andpositioned to display each of said numerals in' succession at saidaperture, a mechanism adapted to be rotatedrcontinuously, and springoperated means co-operat- ,ingwith the said rotating mechanism and thesaid plate ato retain the 'said plate for a period of r m- ;minutes in a,position in which one of the said numerals is displayed at saidaperture and to move said plate at the end of each period of vfourminutes to display ,the next succeeding numeral at said aperture. V

A timepiece for indicating the meridian of longitude at which it is agiven time, comprising .a dial bearing a circular scale marked withthirty-six equidistant consecutively numbered divisions and a secondcircular soale, a hand which moves over said first-named scale once intwenty-four hours, said dial also having an aperture, a plate rotatableabout an axis and bearing a succession olf numerals and positioned todisplay thesaid numerals iii-succession at vsaid aperture, amechanismadapted to rotate continuonsly, spring operated means co-operating withthe said rotating mechanism and the said plate to retain thesaidplatefor a 'period or four minutes in a position in which one of the saidnumeralsis displayed at said aperture and to movesaid plate at the endof each period of four minutes to display the next succeeding numeralat. said aperture, and a second hand which moves in the course of fourminutes over the said second circular scale.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. V

ROLAND FABIAN BERRILL.

